Prom Night And I Am Lonely
by eventide89
Summary: Quinn lets Finn know exactly what she thinks about his relationship with Rachel, Finn demands some answers, and Faberry times ensue.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Prom Night (And I Am Lonely)  
**Author**: eventide89  
**Pairing**: Rachel/Quinn  
**Disclaimer**: Glee and it's characters are property of Fox, they are not mine. Obviously.  
**Rating**: PG-13 for now  
**Spoilers**: Up through 3x14 & some rumoured spoilers up to prom episode.  
**Summary**: Just a little one-shot based on the prom spoilers that are floating around tumblr. Might think about continuing it...maybe.

Rachel hovers in the ring of students surrounding the newly-crowned king and queen, somewhere between waiting for the dance to finish and poised to run to Quinn's aid if her legs give way.

She's not sure what she's missed between the dancing couple, but she's wondering if it has anything to do with the wheelchair abandoned by the side of the stage. Quinn looks slightly homicidal and Finn is wearing a smug smirk that sends a wave of annoyance over her.

She can see Quinn's lips moving close to Finn's ear, but can't make out her words over the noise of the music.

* * *

"She deserves so much better than you."

Quinn feels him try to pull away, and fists her hands forcefully in the back of his jacket.

"What the-?"

But she doesn't say another word, just sways a few more times as the music dies out, giving him the falsest smile as they pull apart to the crowds applause.

He opens his mouth to say something, but Rachel's beside them both in a heartbeat.

"Quinn are you sure you should be standing, maybe you should rest for a minute, I've read that over straining yourself too early can be highly counter-productive to successful physiotherapy."

Quinn's fake smile is replaced by a real one as she turns to the small brunette beside her, reaching out to touch her arm gently.

"I'm ok Rach."

She's pretty sure that to anyone else it was nothing more than a friendly exchange, but Finn has never been the sharpest knife, and jumps to a conclusion that only he could.

It just so happens that for once it's actually the right one.

"Bullshit, this is- this is _bullshit_."

Everyone in the immediate vicinity takes a step back, not least Rachel, and Quinn's fairly sure she hasn't seen him so pissed since he found out that Puck was Beth's father.

"What on _earth, _Finn?_"_

He ignores his girlfriend's question, eyes burning into Quinn's. If she wasn't Quinn Fabray she might actually be intimidated; mostly, she's just pissed.

"So that's what she deserves, huh? What can you possibly give her that I can't?"

Quinn's eyes flick to the small crowd forming around them, then to Rachel's confused frown.

"You really want to do this here, Finn?"

"Yeah, what the hell, _I've_ got nothing to be ashamed of."

That snaps her, and before he can register what's going on, she's right up in his face, poking him sharply in the chest with one finger as her anger bubbles closer to the surface.

"Ashamed? You think I'm _ashamed_?" Her voice is low and threatening, barely loud enough for anyone to hear but him. "For once in your damn life Finn, don't be so stupid."

"Quinn…" Rachel breathes out beside them, and the blond steps back, opening her mouth to apologize to the other girl.

"It's me or her Rachel," Finn demands, cutting her off before she has time to speak.

"What? Finn don't be ridiculous."

"No Rach, I've had it with this- this thing," he exclaims, waving his hand between the two of them. "It's me –the guy you're meant to be marrying- or her."

Quinn sighs gently, arms crossed over her chest. She's fairly sure she knows what the outcome of this is going to be, but catches Rachel's eyes, taken aback by the emotion in them; she's frowning a little, but her eyes are mostly hurt, confused.

"Well?" Finn demands again, and it's all Quinn can do to stop herself from punching him in the face –she kind of doesn't want to get thrown out but it might just be worth it.

The brunette doesn't answer, and Quinn's breath catches in her throat when she sees a tear begin to sneak its way down her cheek. Faster than either of them can speak again, Rachel turns on her heel and races from the room.

"I have _no idea_ what I ever saw in you," she hisses at him, pinning him with a disdainful parting look before she hurries after the brunette, the eyes of everyone in the room following her.

After a moment of stunned silence, the music resumes and Kurt steps in front of his step-brother, blocking his path to the door.

"What the hell was that Finn Hudson?"

Finn brushes off Kurt's question with a scowl, storming after the two girls.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Because we all know how much Faberry love to have their heart-to-hearts in the McKinley high bathroom...**

* * *

Quinn blows out a long breath as she slows to a walk, quietly praying to whoever than Finn has either stormed off, or gone the wrong way. Her legs quiver a little as they carry her towards the door that she knows Rachel has disappeared behind.

The door swings shut behind her and she slides the lock into place, sighing sadly as she takes in the sight of the brunette trying to rub the black trails of mascara from her cheeks.

"Rachel I'm so sorry."

The brunette spins to face her, and Quinn prepares herself for whatever words are going to be thrown her way.

"Why are _you_ apologizing?"

"If I hadn't said-" she tails off, wondering how best to word her admission that isn't going to make her totally transparent. "Just, something I said to Finn. And I'm not saying I regret it, I really don't, but I'm sorry it made him talk to you like that."

"What did you say?"

She knew it was coming.

"I told him you deserved better."

She's half expecting a slap -it would be kind of ironic, she thinks, after last year- or at the very least an angry retort about how wonderful Finn is. But instead Rachel's eyes fall to the floor, and Quinn sees her shoulders move in a quiet sigh.

"And do you honestly think that's all it was that made him say those things?"

She opens her mouth to reply, the words 'of course' already forming in her throat. But she can't lie about this, not again. Not after the way she'd unnecessarily brushed her fingers against the other girls arm in reassurance, and the smile she'd given that she hasn't realized until now is reserved only for Rachel, and the way she'd looked at her like she was the only person in the crowded room; the way she always does.

"No. No I don't."

Rachel finally looks her in the eye, and the understanding Quinn sees is almost frightening. She's totally busted.

"Neither do I."

Quinn's pretty sure her heart must be thudding loud enough for the other girl to hear –because as much as she _knew _this was going to happen as soon as Finn had called her out on it, she wasn't prepared.

"He had no right to talk to you like that, or to ask you to choose between us." She takes a deep breath and steels herself, because she _really_ doesn't want to have to say what she's about to. "But he's your boyfriend, and even if I think he's an ass, I appreciate your loyalty to him. You don't have to choose, I'll-" She breathes deeply again because her voice is threatening to crack and she _really_ doesn't want it to. She doesn't want to admit –to Rachel or to herself- how much this is hurting her. "I'll stay away from you. Obviously there's Glee, but I'll keep my distance, and graduation isn't far away so…"

She wants to fight for her; she wants to beg her to understand how Finn is so _wrong_ for her. She wants her to know how much she doesn't ever want to not be in her life. She wants to tell her everything she feels, that she's still getting used to herself.

But she won't, because she understands how much Rachel hates to hurt anyone, and she won't make her do that. Besides, she doesn't want to have to hear Rachel _really _chose him over her, even though to Quinn it feels like she already does every day.

"It scared me," Rachel offers quietly.

The blonde frowns in confusion, an ineloquent 'huh' falling out in question before she can stop it, and Rachel smiles at her, just for a second, and takes a deep breath.

"It scared me that I didn't know what to say to him. I mean, I shouldn't have even had to _think_. I should have rushed to his side in a heartbeat and told him that I chose him, that I always choose him, because that's the way love is supposed to work, isn't it?"

There's fresh tears spilling down her cheeks, and she looks so uncertain, that Quinn wants nothing more than to hold her and whisper reassurances in her ear.

So she does. She takes a still-unsteady step forward and pulls the other girl to her, Rachel's head resting in the space between Quinn's shoulder and chest, tears falling onto bare skin as Rachel's shoulders shake gently, the blonde girl's thumb stroking the small of her back.

When the tears slowly subside Rachel pulls back a little, reaching up to wipe away the smears of mascara on the taller girl's shoulder, and Quinn shivers slightly against her touch as her hands slide from Rachel's back to her hips, suddenly very aware of how close they are. She scoffs inwardly –they'd been practically flush against one another in an embrace less than a minute ago- but something about this is so much more intimate.

Maybe it's the way each is breaching the others personal space in a way that makes Quinn's body practically vibrate. Maybe it's the hands resting cautiously against each other's hips. Maybe it's the way she looks down and is staring into Rachel's eyes. Maybe it's because if she angles her head just slightly to the right and leans in just a little-

Rachel pulls her eyes away, and Quinn releases a breath she didn't realize she was holding as Rachel returns her attention to the black smudge against Quinn's pale skin.

"Sorry, I-" She gives a small nod towards the mark by way of explanation, and Quinn can't help but chuckle lightly as she shrugs and pulls out of Rachel's arms to stand in a safer proximity.

They're both silent as they busy themselves tidying up, Rachel dampening at paper towel while Quinn rubs at her shoulder with another.

"Waterproof? I think I'll be drafting a strongly-worded email to the manufacturer about the morality of false advertising when I get home." Rachel scowls at her reflection in the mirror as she swipes at the now-dried stubborn black marks. "I look terrible."

"You look beautiful to me."

Quinn's mouth snaps shut and she inwardly curses her apparently broken social filter. Her hand drops away from her shoulder and eyes fix on Rachel's reflection, heart hammering.

It _shouldn't_ matter, they've complemented one another before, she's sure. But after the events of this evening, neither of them has to vocalize the fact that they know how weighted those words really are.

It's Rachel again who breaks the eye contact, removing the last traces of black from her cheeks before turning back to Quinn, who opens her mouth to speak, cut off before she can begin.

"It frightened me that when I should have been thinking and doing everything I said before, the first thing that I thought was about you."

Quinn can only manage to press her lips together in a look of complete uncertainty, because this conversation _can't_ be going where it seems to be.

"Not- Nothing exactly specific, but just…you, and what it would be like to not have you in my life. And I _shouldn't_ have wanted to say your name when he asked me-" Rachel pauses, breathing deeply and looking like even she can't grasp what she's saying. "But I did."

If Quinn had felt unsteady before, it was nothing compared to now, because Rachel is taking a tentative step towards her, eyes full of so much emotion she feels like she might be consumed by it. Her hand reaches out and rests on Quinn's upper arm, fingers ghosting over the skin and coming up to curl around the back of her neck; she's so close again that Quinn can feel the warmth from her skin and can smell the vanilla of her shampoo.

Quinn lets her hand rest gently on Rachel's hip and hopes she understands the silent encouragement. But the first move has to belong to the other girl, Quinn won't be responsible for taking anything that doesn't want to be taken.

Her eyes drift shut as Rachel leans closer, warm breath tickling over Quinn's cheek, and she hates herself a little bit for succumbing to the cliché, but there are tiny explosions of electricity somewhere in her lower abdomen.

She's pretty sure her mind completely vacates her body when she feels Rachel's lips brush against hers in a chaste kiss.

She feels Rachel pull away, and immediately misses the warmth, opening heavily lidded eyes to see the other girl staring back at her with a gentle smile.

"We should probably go somewhere and-" She tries her best to normalize her tone to something less seductive. "Talk."

She _means '_talk', she really does.

Honest.

It's not her fault it came out like that.

"I'd love to go and-" Rachel smirks in a way Quinn didn't realize she was capable of and that sends those same little jolts of electricity through her stomach again. "_Talk_."

"I uh-" Quinn folds her arms in frustration; she's Quinn Fabray, she _doesn't_ get lost for words.

"But I'm going to go and speak to Finn, because I can't- I _won't_ venture into whatever this," Rachel gestures between the two of them with a wave of her hand, "is, while the situation with him stands as it is. I feel that I owe that to him." She breathes deeply and catches Quinn's eye with a smile. "And to you."

Quinn nods, not really sure what else to do, and Rachel steps forwards to press a small kiss into her shoulder, resting her head on the spot for a moment before she pulls away.

They make their way back to the sound of music and Rachel casts her a final silent smile before she spots Finn in the crowd and ventures towards him.

Quinn sinks into the nearest chair and watches the pair exchange words; Finn's expression moves rapidly from smug, to wounded-puppy, to angry, and his eyes lock with Quinn's for a moment in unspoken rage before Rachel pulls him away through the side exit.

"Well?"

Quinn turns to Santana's voice as the Latina drops into the chair beside her, expression soft despite the demand in her tone.

"Well what?"

"Well what the hell happened Q?"

Quinn chews on her lower lip, trying to come up with an answer to the loaded question as Brittany appears from nowhere and drops into her girlfriends lap, looping her arms around her neck and flashing Quinn a smile.

"Hey Quinn. Is everything ok now?"

Quinn takes a deep breath, as if she might somehow jinx it if she answers. She thinks about the smile Rachel gave her as she walked away, the feeling of the kiss and the emotion in her eyes when she'd looked at her, and feels herself smile cautiously.

"I think it will be."


End file.
